Kakashi Rewind
by StreakingHerculobus
Summary: When Kakashi's mangekyo is replaced by Obito's, he finds himself back in time before the Fourth Ninja War. Minato's alive and he has a chance to do things right, but only if he can convince the leaf he's not an imposter.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto or the characters.**

The gates to the Uchiha compound towered above a forlorn Kakashi, as he merely stood there, pondering, or was it more like brooding? The guard didn't know which. Either way the brat needed to scram.

Indeed, the Konoha police force member recognized the dejected jonin. He was quite the shinobi and talked about in expert circles, son of the disgraced White Fang, the prodigy with the mask, skilled in every respect, the poster child of the ninja world. With no attachments, rare displays of emotion, and an obsession with duty, the kid was a shining textbook example of what every shinobi should strive to be. Yet for some reason, judging by the tragic look in Kakashi's eye, the guard did not want to be in his shoes.

"Hey! You need something? If not, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Kakashi looked up at the Uchiha sitting within the station, studied him for a few moments, and finally nodded to the guard's great relief. For a second there, he thought the boy was going to attack.

But Kakashi turned to go, further reflecting on the cruel twist of fate which sent him back here to this day. What was the purpose? Was it punishment? Or had he just lost his mind, and it was nothing but an illusion, as he bled to death back on the battlefield where he had taken Obito's life.

It was sad really. How the once-cheerful-Uchihan outcast-turned-psychopathic-murderer still thought of Kakashi as his main rival. Kakashi imagined that those early feelings of inferiority never truly went away, and at last in their final confrontation, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy when Obito found himself unable to take down the illustrious Copy-Cat Nin. And like a true servant of Konoha Kakashi dealt the final blow.

Madara could only teach Obito so much, and like Kakashi told Sasuke before, the sharingan is not invincible. But _combining _it with a mastery of all other shinobi arts, and then! Then you have real power. Power Kakashi never asked for or set out to get.

He remembered that one mission just before he became captain, that his own commander was killed in an ambush where really no one should have gotten out alive. The three of them fought their best, but the other two quickly fell. At that point Kakashi became numb and to some extent relied on his instincts but mostly called upon everything he ever learned, focusing so hard that he always saw two or three steps ahead.

It wasn't because he was necessarily more talented than the other two. He'd say he was about even then. But for some reason the enemy made more mistakes around him, and Kakashi exploited it to the fullest. At the end, with Kakashi leaning over, the Commander breathed his last words which have come to resemble a curse rather than a simple observation: "You just won't die will you?"

And he didn't die. Not during the war with Iwa. Not during the Kyuubi attack. Not against Zabuza. Not against Itachi. Not against Hidan. Not against Obito. He outlived everyone and every time it was just stroke of luck which sustained him.

Kakashi raised his hand to his right eye. It still throbbed. Just hours (if this was real and not a dream) his eye had run continuously with blood, staining his cheeks. He thought for sure that by the end of that battle he would be nearly blind, having dished out dozens of kamui's, some simultaneously at different targets, while engaged in taijutsu and weaving signs for ninjutsu. Really, Kakashi didn't want to toot his own horn, but he was pretty good at what he did. At least while he had chakra. If his fight with Obito had gone on for another single second, then he would've lost, succumbing to chakra exhaustion.

He pondered some more, as his feet unconsciously led him to the memorial stone. The habit was too ingrained. Whenever he began to feel like this, the names called out to him, and he had no choice but to go.

However, en route he felt a disturbance. He didn't sense it really. It was more like an ability you acquire after years of warfare where you just know something is not right. And then out of the trees dropped a figure, aiming for Kakashi's back, but the white haired prodigy stepped to the side at the last second. Not one to over react Kakashi meant to just turn around, but when he heard the sheathing of metal, his hand automatically went for his own kunai and without even looking he stabbed the assailant through the heart with lightning efficiency.

Kakashi immediately went on alert for other attackers. At the same time he inspected the dead body, noting the Anbu mask and the seal in his hand, which just so happened not to be a sword.

_Crap._ A dozen or so more Anbu suddenly had him surrounded, and Kakashi could only bow his head, as they cuffed his hands and suppressed his chakra. "This is all a misunderstanding," he said in his future offhand way. He could tell they were perturbed by how lightly he was taking it. His younger self, so confident in his righteousness, would have probably demanded an explanation and refused to go peacefully.

**X**

"You're not Kakashi." An alive Minato (Kakashi still hadn't gotten over that yet; it was after the Kyuubi battle) reprimanded him with arms crossed in an underground chamber. Inoichi and Ibiki Morino reclined in the background.

"Is this an interrogation? Because you're going awfully easy on me. Should I be getting mentally prepared?"

Minato frowned, Inoichi rolled his eyes, and Ibiki seemed angry. Kakashi sighed. He just had a way with words. When he was brought in about an hour ago he decided to just go with the flow and not bother with the past. He could get to that later after he got out of this situation.

"I think you are underestimating the seriousness of your situation. We know you're not Kakashi. Your chakra system is too developed. So why don't you just drop the illusion now, huh?"

Minato, Kakashi thought dryly, the voice of reason. "But I am Kakashi. Can't you tell the chakra's the same? There's just more of it!"

"That is exactly what angle a spy would use to get us to trust him. Where's the real Kakashi? He's not dead, is he? If he is, then so help you—"

"Relax." It was kind of touching how concerned Minato was for his sake. "Kakashi isn't dead." The others looked on expectantly as Kakashi dragged the silence on. "He's me."

Minato visibly deflated. "Well, it looks like you get that chance, Morino." The hokage rubbed his forehead, distressed no doubt over the perceived disappearance of his best student.

"Gladly," Ibiki smirked. "This one needs an attitude replacement in the first place." The top interrogator gathered his tools together from a table on the far side of the room.

Kakashi shrugged. "You're not the first one to have said that," he said with Tsunade in mind. "But might I recommend nothing that leaves any permanent damage. After all, you don't know for sure that I'm not Kakashi. What would he—I mean—_I_ say, if my fellow comrades, much more my team instructor, permanently handicapped me? Can you imagine the betrayal I'm experiencing right now?"

Minato couldn't believe what an act this guy was putting on. Clearly fake, yet sincere enough to be believable. Teenage kunoichi exhibited less drama than this man. "You forget the fact that you killed one of our soldiers. You are automatically facing trial and most likely execution for that act alone."

"He snuck up on me! What was I supposed to do?" Kakashi entreated the hokage. "I can't help it I got awesome reflexes."

"Enough of this!" Ibiki shouted. "By the time I get through with you that mouth will be considerably less smart."

Kakashi realized he might have put on the young-Obito act a little too thick, as he eyed the knife making its way towards his cheek.

"Wait," Minato said. "Take off his mask first. If it's not Kakashi, you will be able to remove it. Because it's a fact of nature that the real Kakashi would never be caught without his mask."

Frowning, Ibiki did as he was told. He peeled down the left side, simultaneously lifting the Konoha headband above the eye with the sharingan.

Minato stepped closer, wondering why Kakashi kept his eye closed. "Open it."

"No."

"Open your sharingan before we cut it out for you," Ibiki threatened.

Kakashi let out a loud breath of air. "Okay. You asked for it." He opened his eye to reveal a red three pointed shuriken with black background. Everyone in the room gasped before the genjutsu took place and they all slumped to the ground. Kakashi used kamui to eradicate the bindings which held him to the chair and stood up and stretched. "Where to now?"

He decided to take it step by step. First he would leave the room but not before leaving a note.

_Next time do not take the chakra suppressors off. Ta-ta. _

**_X_**

Kakashi, situated on a log just outside the border of Konoha, sighed when he felt the presence of a familiar chakra, dead in his time, but very much alive in this twisted reality.

Minato kept his distance, not willing to underestimate this man again. Though he looked like Kakashi, boyish and lean, he carried himself like a veteran: the slumped shoulders and half-lidded eye, all to draw attention away from how every movement was timed and how his muscles tensed at the slightest rustle. And though Kakashi never smiled, the one before him bore a haunted look, which greatly contrasted his earlier carefree manner. "So the metaphorical mask comes off. Am I seeing the real you?"

Kakashi smiled sardonically and rotated one hundred eighty degrees so that his back was towards Minato. He didn't think he could look at his old mentor right now and not break down. "The face you see is indeed the real me, truer than you have ever witnessed before. Yet there is so much more I could tell you. I remember when I was younger, at night I used to consider sharing how I felt with you. About my dad, about being alone, about what it was like to sell your soul to Konoha. But my pride held me back every time. Because then, I would be admitting to having problems just like everyone else...when I had to be the best. If my Dad couldn't cut it, as respected as he was, then what hope was there for me?"

Minato frowned. This was not what he would expect from Kakashi, but what he spoke of, it sounded so much like what the boy would say should he ever open up. "We got back the DNA test. I know it's you Kakashi, or if not, a darker twin we never heard about before."

Kakashi stood up and turned around, his left eye concealed once again by the head band. "It's weird being older than you. I don't like it that much. Back then I always saw you as the invincible guardian whom nothing could faze. You were my goal."

Minato's frown deepened. What did he mean by 'older than you' and 'back then'? "What are you talking about, Kakashi? You're six years younger than I am."

Kakashi shook his head. Then lifting his eye to meet Minato's, he demanded, "Fight me. If you want proof, fight me."

"I'm not going to fight you Kakashi. I realize you're mad about earlier, but everyone is sorry. We had to take precautions." Minato held up a finger. "Now, there will be consequences to killing a fellow ninja, even if it's accidentally. But you'll be clear in six months."

"I said, fight me!" Kakashi barked. All the emotion and drama which had been building up since his arrival teetered under the surface, and he found himself angry, his limbs itching to move, to slash, to maim, and to mutilate. Kakashi didn't know if his subconscious had yet to adapt to the fact the war had ended, and now the urge to kill once again rose to the forefront.

Minato's words died in his throat when he was forced to block a jab and jump back from a sudden earth jutsu which threatened to pull him into the crust. Landing on a branch, he attempted once more to reason, but a spinning back fist from nowhere barely missed his jaw. Minato, back on the ground, searched for Kakashi, wondering how he became so good at concealment, but the prodigy found him first when a fire jutsu shaped like a dragon surged forth from a shadow in the woods. Raising a mud wall, Minato removed several of his go-to knives. He prepared to rush out from behind the dirt barrier but Kakashi had beaten him to it, appearing behind him and sending a variety of punches and kicks. Minato struggled to block each one; Kakashi's taijutsu had improved immeasurably, with very few openings.

Thus Minato retreated. He shunshin'ed into the trees, and began to secretly place the knives at various strategic positions outside the edge of the clearing. He figured a few places from which to sneak Kakashi would be helpful (and he admitted, a few places to retreat to).

To his surprise Kakashi strolled into the clearing nonchalant and with nothing more than a book in his hand. His nose was glued to the page and his other hand stuffed inside his pocket. There's no way he was taking this seriously, Minato thought. But just to be on the safe side, Minato appeared a good twenty meters away. "What are you doing? First you wanted to fight, and now you want to read? What is going on?"

"Hmm. Who said the fight was finished?" Kakashi didn't look up from his book.

Minato heard a crackle from behind him and barely sidestepped a clone formed from what appeared to be lightning. Guessing how dangerous it would be to make contact, the Hokage decided it was time to utilize the seals he arranged earlier.

But to his alarm, he found himself not two inches from Kakashi who smirked and motioned to the stolen knives in his vest. Minato absorbed the blow, and countered with a sweep which actually caught Kakashi off guard, seeing as he still held his book. And was that a promiscuous woman on the front page! Minato's disbelief allowed Kakashi time to recover and tossing the visual novel, he threw a right hook as hard as he could. Minato, taking advantage of his physical superiority, swiped Kakashi's fist to one side. Reaching for Kakashi's hair (he wasn't afraid to play dirty if that's how the boy wanted it), he brought his knee up into Kakashi's abdomen with terrific force.

Under normal circumstances this wouldn't have affected Kakashi, but seeing as how his future body (which truthfully had been built, more so than most ninjas; it was bound to happen when your rival is Gai) had been replaced by this scrawny sixteen year old, it hurt way more than he would have liked. And that brief moment of pain was all it took for Minato to maneuver behind Kakashi, sweep him to the ground and lock his arms around his back. "Are we done yet?"

Kakashi grimaced when Minato put pressure on his shoulder just for emphasis. "Um, yes. But you forgot something."

Minato's eyes grew wide when he heard the hiss of lightning for a second time, but before the clone could strike, one of the Hokage's men dispelled it with a water jutsu.

"Hokage, are you alright," the Anbu inquired. A woman judging from the voice swept the area for more threats. "Shall I get the rope, sir?" she continued, referring to Kakashi's arrested form.

Minato sighed for the thousandth time that day. "No, that won't be necessary. And thanks for the help. I once again underestimated my student."

On that point she stayed silent, not wishing to speak out of line. She saw the boy around the compound sometimes. At first he seemed stuck-up and to a certain extent she guessed he was, but from what she could tell, he just had a lot of confidence in his abilities. And judging from what she just witnessed, he had a right to be. Not many could give the fourth Hokage a run for his money, even in a friendly spar.

Minato let Kakashi up and dusted himself off. "Kakashi you'll go with Raccoon here back to your apartment. You're under house arrest. We'll discuss what happened today later."

Kakashi merely nodded and started shuffling back toward the village. Minato turned to Raccoon. "Establish a perimeter around his place. Don't let him out of your sight." He stepped closer and whispered so that Kakashi couldn't hear. "He's to be treated as an unknown and highly dangerous. Don't let your guard down."

**Okay, so I'm a big fan of Kakashi. Personally I think he has the most skill in the ninja world. it's just because he doesn't possess heavy hitter techniques that he isn't the best. **


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all reviewers! I really appreciate it. Special thanks to **FluffPenguin** for the list of things to consider. And I'm glad someone else **(Ninja of Fire)** thinks Kakashi could be the best. **BlackGryphon101,** I'll try to keep the humor coming. **Ultima-Owner,** I hope to include more snarky Kakashi moments in the future. And **Prescipto13**, thanks for pointing that out.

I'm glad people (**Rama**, **Alepex**, and **Rbooks**, thought that this rendition of Kakashi was cool. In my opinion he is. They should have a whole show dedicated to his anbu days.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected to see _him_ so soon. The man made himself comfortable in Kakashi's apartment, having the gall to come in uninvited.

"Why, Danzo-sama, have a seat." Kakashi beckoned though the visitor had already sat down. "My house is your house, as they say." He smiled. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No, thank you, Hatake. I'm not here for a social visit." The old man with the signature sling and eye bandage straightened his back. "I understand you're in a spot of trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle. You'd be surprised the amount of stuff I've talked myself out of. In fact, let me tell you a story about this one time in the land or iron. They thought I was a spy see—and I was one, don't get me wrong—but I convinced them…"

Danzo inhaled. "Enough of that. While others may be affected by this new flippant attitude, I don't tolerate nonsense." He paused and took Kakashi's silence as obedience. "The council has decided that the majority of the charges will be dropped. That means no execution, no imprisonment. However, what remains of the punishment is at the hokage's discretion," he finished with traces of sourness.

Kakashi leaned forward much more sober than before. "I know for a fact that Shimura and Homura would like nothing better than to see me swing. There are few things that could change their mind, at least not in the traditional persuasion sense. I wonder what possessed them to show me leniency."

Danzo brushed the loaded question off with his hand. "Indeed, it was looking very grim for you Kakashi. But once I reminded them of what a valuable asset you are to the village, they began to see reason. I'm sure you are very grateful."

Kakashi's look grew even more menacing. He picked up on Danzo's hidden meaning. The ultimate translation was something along the lines of, 'I bought your freedom, possibly your life, and now I expect something in return'.

But Kakashi wasn't going to be so easily conscripted. Casually he placed his knuckles on top of the dresser and sounded out a message in the code he picked up from root.

_If you think something like this could make me feel obligated to you, then your assessment of me is way off. Come back when you have something real to engender my allegiance. Which will be…never._

Danzo didn't give any indication he understood the message. Instead, worried that the Anbu monitors could be growing suspicious he stood up to leave. "Well, that's all I have to say. I thought it'd be good to come in person to tell you this. I had a few things to offer you, but I can tell you're not interested. Another day, then?"

Kakashi kicked his feet out and leaned back in the sofa with his hands locked behind his head like he was enjoying a game on the television. "Sure, sure. Anytime. Call me though before you drop by. That way I can set up the tea and scones."

True to his word, Danzo was unaffected. He left, not giving any indication he knew where the Anbu perched right above the door was hiding.

Kakashi abandoned the carefree façade and sunk further down into the chair. He wondered how much of a failure he had to be to screw up this much in less than twenty-four hours. At this rate he doubted he'd last more than a week in this timeline before altering the fabric of space-time itself.

Theories circulated his brain about how such a thing could have occurred. Spontaneous time travel wasn't accurate, and the idea seemed too science fiction. Yet taking into account of how Obito's sharingan specialized in space techniques and that same mangekyo had replaced Kakashi's, a radical reaction would not be so far-fetched.

"Hey, anybody there?"

Kakashi snapped out his thinking to spy the female Anbu from earlier in the middle of his living room, flipping through a textbook. Her cocky stance compensated for her smaller build, and her short brown hair matched her earth camouflage.

"Don't you know the meaning of discreet? The target isn't supposed to know you're watching."

She shrugged. "It's not like you didn't know in the first place. I just decided to relax. It's a pointless job."

"And a thankless one," Kakashi muttered.

An awkward silence fell over the room, so decided to lighten the mood with an overwhelming perkiness "So, copy-nin. Can you show me any jutsu?"

"Is that what this is about? You want to learn some new ninjutsu? Who's to say I even have any suited to your combat style? Or your affinity?" Kakashi shook his head. Actually, he more than likely knew dozens she could use, but nobody knew that. He wasn't famed for more than one thousand yet. Such a large arsenal came with years of experience.

And contrary to popular beliefs, in particular Orochimaru, more jutsu's do not automatically make people better fighters. If anything they just gave you more headaches; the images constantly swirling around your head, burned into your memory, taking the place of memories you'd rather keep, but haven't because you didn't have your sharingan yet or it wasn't activated…Every morning Kakashi focused on remembering his father's face, but other time it has faded and now the white hair is the only thing that sticks out.

"Hey, are you listening?"

Kakashi blinked from his stupor, and tried to come up with something to show that he was okay. "You say 'hey' a lot, you know that?"

She rolled her eyes, but the mask probably didn't let Kakashi on to her exasperation. "So what's with the old man? He didn't seem too polite." She masked her suspicions with simple curiosity. She knew something big had transpired, but both seasoned ninjas did not provide anything concrete.

Kakashi's eye darkened. "Nothing that you should involve yourself with. Just report your observations to the hokage. He'll do the right thing."

Raccoon pouted. "Aw, now that you said that, I'm hooked. What could be so important that one of the council members would pay you a personal visit? And not just any council member. "Danzo," she emphasized. "The man rumored to have been responsible for—"

"Don't say it," Kakashi warned her. "You can't take it back." He didn't know the exact circumstances of Danzo's corruption in this timeline, but judging from the conversation he just had, the man possessed his share of schemes.

She snorted. "It's not like everyone in anbu doesn't know it. Even the hokage does. What's wrong with going right out and saying it?"

Kakashi shook his head. "You're too young to understand." He visually appraised her. "You don't strike me as the type to last long anyways."

Enraged she sent a spinning crescent kick crashing into where Kakashi was sitting, but he exploded into smoke with a poof. Deflated she turned around to see the boy leaning against the wall with a book in his hands.

"Yes, you're much too emotional. Those people are always the first to go. Followed by the cowards."

She flipped through the signs for a vine jutsu, but a strong hand gripped her forearm. "What's going on here?" Minato stood just beside her, visibly upset with both of them, but saving his disappointed stare for Kakashi. "Raccoon, you can go. And dismiss the whole detail."

She nodded, secretly thankful that Kakashi would receive the brunt of the hokage's wrath. She disappeared in a swirl of leaves leaving sensei and student alone.

"Kakashi, we need to have a talk."

**Thank you for all the reviews! It's amazing. I really wasn't going to focus on this story; I like writing Bleach better. (_No One Is Ever Alone_ is my pride.) But because so many people reviewed, I'd feel remiss if I didn't update.**

**Poll: Check out my profile page and vote whether you like the OC Raccoon. She's not fundamental to the story, but I don't want to keep including her if I do a bad job of portraying her. OC's are the trickiest. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Naruto or the characters.**

Kakashi munched on some crackers which he had scooped up from the soup. He made a spectacle of how he finished the spoonful, loudly sipping away the rest of the liquid. He placed down the utensil and turned his attention to his former sensei who had been strangely quiet. Kushina had noticed the obvious tension and supplied the conversation throughout the night. Forced smiles and nervous laughs constituted their evening. Kakashi remembered a time when his relationship with Minato wasn't so awkward and strained especially when his wife was present. Like Naruto she possessed an ability to assuage any conflict by her single brashness.

Speaking of whom, Kakashi asked in a low tone, "Where is your son?"

Kushina's spoon hit the table. Minato tightened his grip on his. And Kakashi wondered if he said the wrong thing when the Hokage stood up and stormed out of the kitchen, a fierce look on his face. Meanwhile Kushina seemed to be studying Kakashi under a different light. Disbelief mixed with disgust dawned on her features as she too slid back her chair. Shaking her head she went to follow after her husband. Just before disappearing beyond the doorway she turned her head, with tears in her eye and whispered, "What has become of you?"

Kakashi, alone at the table, scratched his head. "What did I say?"

Yet the question struck a chord deep inside. What _has_ he become? Sure, when he was younger, perhaps he was a tad stuck-up and obsessed with the rules, but in everyone's eyes he was normal guy, no different at least on an ethical level than the rest of them. Then through the years after seeing the things he did in Anbu and as a result of being a general jonin, he admits to becoming a little soft. He no longer accepted assassination missions for example. But when it came to dealing with people he made no effort. While in his chunin and early jonin days he at least made an attempt to socialize and get along with others (as long as they were his equal or superior), but by the time he took on Team 7 he had become a complete jerk to everyone. Jiraiya's books didn't help any. They were his mode of escape. They still are. Even now he has to resist the reflex to reach down into his pocket and pull out the third gold edition of volume II.

How many things came to pass because of his uncaring attitude? If he had actually taught Sasuke the shinobi way instead of criticizing him at every turn. If he had actually warmed up to Minato completely so that he could've been there when the Kyuubi struck; maybe he wouldn't have died. If he had actually remained in Anbu and eliminated the Akatsuki before things got out of hand. If he had actually raised Naruto instead of just making sure he didn't die. If he had actually been kind to Obito. If he had actually reciprocated Rin's affection. If he actually cared about what happened to his teammates.

_Those who abandon the mission are trash. But those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash. _

His entire life he assumed it applied primarily to the field, but looking back, he realized Minato was talking every aspect of life. How could he have been so stupid?

Yet the pessimistic part of him, which was content with the callous way he saw others, reminded in a small voice. _Either way you're still trash. _Kakashi recognized that the The voice needed to go. That part of him needed to be extinguished. For good.

_Would you really kill a part of yourself? How are you going to reverse thirty years of who you are? _

Where was this voice coming from anyways? Kakashi banged his fist on the table causing the dishes to jingle. The voice sounded so independent, yet at the same time, his mind was supplying the words. The poison.

_I am the cure. Do you want to know the reason your life is so screwed up? It's because you haven't committed. You're stuck between me and you-know-who's philosophy, the outdated one, which won't get you anywhere. Look where trying to pursue friendship and nobility got you. Look where it got your father. _

"Don't talk about my father."

_What about Obito? Friendship doesn't last long. Eventually it gives way to bitterness. Given enough time or given enough pressure, all people break. They would forsake their country and their comrades as long as they keep their lives. Look what Rin became._

"I'm not listening to you anymore!" Kakashi threw the table on its side. Snarling he activated Chidori and ran the wall through, unaware of who was watching. Minato, with Kushina peeking around his shoulder, gazed on at a loss of what to do.

**X**

Once again Kakashi found himself under the scrutiny of Inoichi Yamanaka. The man inclined his head to the hokage. "You believe he's unbalanced? "

Minato nodded. "I'm afraid so. It's the best explanation of his recent behavior. And the incident inside my home worries me it might be serious." Minato uncrossed his arms, and walked over to whisper something in the mind-reader's ear.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. His younger body kept with it some of its childish mannerisms. "I'm right here, ya know. Didn't you ever learn not to whisper to each other about someone in the room? It's rude."

Oh yes. Kakashi was definitely enjoying just how childish sounding he could be and get away with it. "So when do we start the crystal ball session? I want to hear my fortune."

Ibiki finally nodded and approached a restrained Kakashi. Minato retreated a couple steps back behind his desk, the only other witness.

Placing a hand over Kakashi's forehead, Yamanaka entered his mind. At first very plain, the landscape reflected the nature of Kakashi's perfectionist tendencies. Books, photos, a field, all symbols which could be interpreted given time, were absolutely organized. But thus far nothing was out of the ordinary, a normal shinobi mind. There was some scarring, but that's to be expected. For example he delved into the dark history of Kakashi's father, sorting through the emotions of that period. While extreme, Kakashi had dealt with them in an adult fashion. This wasn't the source of what was plaguing Kakashi today.

However, coming upon a large door in a dimly lit tunnel, Yamanaka knew he arrived at something significant. On the wood was sketched a black and red design, similar to the sharingan, but with a more sinister appearance. He slowly pushed the door open, peeking his head around the edge to see only darkness. There was no telling how large the room was. In many cases places such as these turned out only to be where old memories had resided, but were forgotten leaving such an open space. Nonetheless, he explored a few steps when out of the black, a purple skeletal hand snatched him up and further into the gloom. The conclusion happened so fast, Inoichi couldn't even scream.

Minato panicked when he saw how Yamanaka's body suddenly go limp on top of Kakashi. He rushed over and escorted the shinobi to the couch, trying to shake him awake. "Inoichi. Inoichi! Wake up." Desperately Minato called for back-up. "Nurse!" Medically trained shinobi sprinted inside, and upon a cursory inspection, decided he needed to be transferred to the hospital.

Minato fell back into his chair emotionally drained and torn. The last twenty-four hours had been trying. He didn't even want to see a glimpse of the reports of Orochimaru sightings lying on his desk, much less deal with whatever is going on with his student who appeared to be waking from his stasis.

Kakashi had a pounding headache. But that didn't stop him from spying an opportunity to annoy Minato. "So," he began, "did you find anything out?"

**Thank you all for your great reviews, especially CrystallineX** **for his or her detailed one. I really appreciate those because they help me write. Can anyone guess the mystery with Naruto?  
**

**Also I'm considering a beta reader for this story. Because I'm not that familiar with Naruto and I don't really want to get really involved with the specifics. Which is why someone who could help with that would be appreciated. if you're interested just PM what you see yourself improving. Don't be afraid to be frank. **


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